Flint offers answers but has licence cut
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• by Mike Jewel Flintshire County Council, which said it "welcomed the opportunity to inform the Commissioner" of improvements made to its vehicle operations (CM 8-14 April), has had its Operator's Licence cut from 91 to 81 vehicles by North Western Deputy Traffic Commissioner Mark Hinchfiffe.
Earlier this year the council was fined 2.5,000 for vehicle defects and hours offences. It attended last week's hearing to explain why the faults had occurred, and what it had done to resolve the situation.
Traffic examiner Richard Mills told a Mold disciplinary inquiry that a council vehicle stopped in a spot check in February 1998 had a serious brake defect. Further investigation revealed that three vehicles had been used without test certificates and that drivers had broken the hours rules.
Vehicle examiner Philip Carson said that one vehicle which had been given an immediate prohibition in July 1998 had not been inspected since July 1997. A refuse vehicle was found to have all 10 wheelnuts loose on one wheel and one nut loose on another wheel— defects which could have had a catastrophic result.
He agreed that spot checks carried out on vehicles in March had been satisfactory.
Vehicle maintenance manager Ian Jutson, who was appointed in January, told the Deputy IC that the council had taken on three more administrative staff and seven more fitters. The Freight Transport Association had been contracted to inspect 30 vehicles every quarter. Four fitters had been sent on Vehicle Inspectorate courses and more were to follow. Drivers had received training on the drivers' hours rules by both the VI and the FTA.
Cutting the licence authorisation, Hinchliffe said that the county council, as a public body, might be expected to set an example to the industry However, he attached great weight to the evidence of recent improvement.
But for the considerable turn-about he would have been faced with revoking the council's licence despite the inconvenience that would have caused to the public. He called for a further investigation in 12 months' time.